Dear Chetan Bhagat, don’t ‘KICK’ logic out when you talk about cracker ban

My first brush with you was back in school, when I picked up a certain ‘Five Point Someone’, a simple story of a few engineers with differing perspectives on life, love and career. The next few books of yours saw me through college, and then I outgrew you.

My second encounter with you came in the form of your screenwriting for the movie ‘Kai Po Che!’, which was one of your mistakes *oops* books, that was adapted into a movie, and turned out to be surprisingly good. However, whatever pattern your books may follow, one has to admit that the movie adaptations have so far been good, with significant changes in the script and story to make it more appealing, making you as the writer of the masses, someone who can turn their thoughts around with his pen.

You grew in life as a writer, a perfect model for those dreams that were crushed under the never-ending pressure IIT-IIM, something that you mentioned in ‘Five Point Someone’, and was later brought on our screens in a more empathetic manner in ‘3 Idiots’. You won an IIFA for ‘Kai Po Che!’, penned another blockbuster starring Salman Khan, ‘Kick’, and no matter how nonsensical it may have been, it was still a mighty success, adding one more feather to your cap. With ‘2 States’, you echoed the sentiments of couples struggling for a love marriage across the country, due to cultural and religious differences, and ‘Half Girlfriend’ was yet another icing on the cake. You were a perfect youth icon, one of the masses, understanding their heart like no one else.

Penning down masala-entertainers, outcome of a genre exclusively invented by and for Bollywood, is no easy feat, and not a bad thing either. After all, it is a tough task to chart out a through and through entertainer. But then, when you start applying the same logic in real life, in the form of the tweets that you put forward claiming as your brain-child, on the most sensitive of topics, then it becomes an issue.

On account of the recent issue of cracker-ban in the NCR, you were quick to paint it in a communal colour, asking the honourable Supreme Court to interfere in the religious matters of other communities, as you brought about the decision as an attack on Hindus. You conveniently forgot *coughs* triple talaq *coughs* verdict, and also how people like you lauded the SC for bringing about a change, asking all to respect the supreme law authority in the country. You talk of selective decision, how about selective appreciation and observation on decisions of the law and reports of the media, on your part?

Our world is burdening under the pressure of inhuman atrocities that we put it through every single day. NCR and Delhi Alone has become a hub of smoke that envelopes it every day, for every person of every community. It is a noted fact that the day post Diwali has been marked by nil visibility and various lung-ailments attacking people across ages. Had this been a religious matter, the SC would have implemented the same across the nation, and just for the time of Diwali. However, they are doing it only for a particular state, to prevent it from deteriorating even further.

Also, to emphasise the point further, since you are so engrossed in kicking out logic while creating perceptions, I don’t recollect any of the ‘other’ religions celebrating a festival in a manner that is deteriorating to the environment. You talk of religion; wasn’t Diwali the ‘festival of lights’? When did it become a festival of pomp and show with the loudest and smokiest of bombs? Your whiny complaints on not being fair with one religion does not come out as something that should come from the writer of a movie like ‘Kai Po Che!’, which beautifully charted out religious harmony amongst the murkiest lanes of riots and hatred. What caused the change of heart, CB?

Chetan, writers, be of screen or book, irrespective of the audience they cater to, are known to be intellectuals who speak less, but say the right thing when they do. And even if they are not right, they are humble enough to acknowledge the same. You may have penned a ‘Half Girlfriend’, but don’t apply ‘half knowledge’ to come up with ‘half baked’ conclusions. You have followers, please comment sensibly.

Save yourself, Chetan. It does not do well to become a Rahul Gandhi in the world of literature and cinema, both of which influence respective strata and have the power to change the mindset of many.

As Boyzone said in their song “It’s only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away”. Yes, that’s the power of words. Choose them carefully.

Imagine a situation when you wake up one fine morning, have your cuppa of coffee and then grab up a newspaper in your hand, only to see a BREAKING scandal on the first page which is all about YOU. What would be your reaction? You’ll be shocked and paranoid, right?

The same goes for our Bollywood celebrities too.

They are famous, and we think that they are over-privileged, and so, we rob them of all the humanity we pride ourselves upon. We forget that Bollywood celebrities might also get the same feeling of helplessness when they are pulled into a puddle without any reason; for those just for the sake news. The point we want to prove here is that, we literally rely on the lives of our Bollywood celebrities; what they eat? where are they vacationing/partying? she was so fake during that interview?, and we so love it.

Image Source - Yogen Shah

But on a franker note, do we really know when to not cross the line? Let’s talk about a recent example, that of megastar Amitabh Bachchan. When many media houses reported (not us) that Senior Bachchan had been admitted to Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai; but the truth was something else. The star had actually visited the hospital for a routine check-up as he was complaining about a pain in his lumbar. Later, Big B penned down a poem in Hindi which explained that while he totally understands the photographers’ need for his pictures to continue their work and it is just part of their profession, those camera flashes may act hazardous at times, especially to the eyes, which is why he hid his face with a hat. PERIOD! Have a look at his heartfelt poem below:

Image Source - http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/

That’s just one of the example, when a problem of a star was not at all sympathised, but was churned into a BREAKING news.

Image Source - Times Now

Even actress Preity Zinta recently became the catch for many media portals when the dimpled beauty was snapped exiting a hang-out spot in Mumbai wearing a ill-fitted dress. And then what, there were speculations that Is Preity Zinta pregnant and is that a Baby bump she is flashing? Like really peeps, now a actress can’t even wear a loose clothing piece, does everything needs to be oh-so gossip tuned?

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When Deepika Padukone talked about her depression story, without a doubt there were fans who sympathised the lady. But over time, there were also many who pointed out the credibility of her confession. Questions were raised and statements were thrown at her which in a gist meant that being a lady who enjoyed so much fame and money, how could she claim of suffering from depression. Clearly, such people just proved their ignorance of the fact that Depression is not just a verb, but actually a mental illness which can claim anyone, irrespective of status, wealth, talent and beauty.

How fickle and heartless we are as audience. We claim to be head over heels in love with our stars and yet when it comes to such times and things, we leave no chance to take a jibe at them.

Few months back Aishwarya Rai Bachchan paid the price of being a celebrity, when paparazzi zoomed and clicked some tacky snaps of the star when she had visited Manish Malhotra‘s residence for dinner, along with her hubby. But instead of being supportive and taking Aish’s side, social media took pleasure out of those GROSS photos. We wouldn’t have reacted the same way if it would have happened with someone close to us, right?

Image Source - Instagram (@aslisona)

Yesterday, a media portal bashed Sonakshi Sinha with her choice of ensembles which she wore during her film’s promotion. While we do get that everything cannot be sugar-coated, but we do need to be subtle in the way that even celebs as humans get what we are trying to say.

Forget sympathy, where is the empathy?

Are we affirming the fact that celebrities are rich and so their misery is not at all real? Why can’t we gulp the fact that the problems of our stars are also genuine? Their misery, no matter how public, are real, even in the cut-throat ugly world of glamour. Agreed that they are rich, move in their swanky cars and do what not; but at last they are HUMANS just like you and me.

Lastly, not all celebrities are publicity obsessed. And we should surely learn where to draw a line. TIME OUT!

January 25, 2018, I went to a theatre to watch Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmaavat’. It was a first day, first show. I was keen to see what the director had to offer, after ‘Bajirao Mastani’.

Well, I was quite impressed with ‘Padmaavat’ thanks to the spectacular vision of SLB. Even the actors left a mark. While Ranveer Singh’s Khilji act was outstanding, Deepika Padukone looked stunning as Rani Padmavati and Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh impressed us. However, I felt there was something missing in the film, an ‘X – Factor’ that was there in ‘Bajirao Mastani’, but not in ‘Padmaavat’. I couldn’t put things together as what was that one thing missing in ‘Padmaavat’.

Image Source - Instagram @deepikapadukone

Finally, after wracking my brains and heart for a few days, a box office comparison article on ‘Padmaavat’ VS ‘Bajirao Mastani’ finally gave me the answer I was looking for. It was you, Priyanka Chopra. The ‘X-factor’ in ‘Bajirao Mastani’ was missing from the magnum opus and now a Rs 250 crore plus profitable film ‘Padmaavat’. The subtle yet a powerful performance that you gave in ‘Bajirao Mastani’.

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I then literally went and checked out other dialogue promos of ‘Bajirao Mastani’ that featured you, and understood that not just ‘Padmaavat’, an ‘X – Factor’ from Bollywood has been missing. Bollywood is missing Priyanka Chopra, who is not just a pretty face, but a performer who can make us sit back and notice her.

Your last Bollywood movie was a 2016 release ‘Jai Gangaajal’. Though you were excellent in the film, your ‘Bajirao Mastani’ performance overpowers every other last release of yours.

Image Source - Instagram @priyankachopra

There’s no doubt that Priyanka, you are making India proud internationally with the ‘Quantico’ series and three Hollywood films in your kitty, but Bollywood needs you too. Its been more than two years, that your fans are waiting for you to announce your next Bollywood film. We have heard a lot about the films you might take up, SLB’s ‘Gustakhiyan’, Kalpana Chawla biopic, Rakesh Sharma biopic and ‘Fanney Khan’. However, till date, none have been announced as your next Bollywood project.

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Priyanka, it’s definitely high time that you come back to Bollywood, not just for your fans but for Bollywood. I am not saying that Bollywood can’t work without Priyanka and movies won’t be made. But, then the silver screen is missing a performer like you.